Tears and Music
by Arimay
Summary: How will our vampire warrior and her hybrid partner cope with a new baby?


**Tears and Music**

_Author's note: This takes place shortly after Love is a Battlefield. _

_The song is The Beatles' 'Here Comes the Sun' from the Abbey Road album, a more beautiful song than mere words can give them credit for._

_Enjoy._

Michael was awoken by the kind of cries that could have been used as a weapon, were it at all possible to harness the noise for such a purpose. The instant the sound penetrated his brain he was alert, awake, though still extremely exhausted.

It had been four straight days, and he had not had more than an hour of sleep.

He pushed himself from the bed, supporting his weight on his arms while he checked the digital clock on the bedside. 2:04 a.m. Tonight he'd had only thirty-six minutes sleep.

There was no doubt that the situation was getting worse. It was becoming vastly impossible for him to cope during the standard daylight hours, the times when he was meant to be awake and alert. Instead, he was tired and irritable during the day, and fully alert during the night.

The bags under his eyes were evidence to suggest there were major issues in play.

But it wasn't all about him. There were three individuals who were being affected by the issues. There was of course the owner of the cries, who without any other method of conveying the cause of her upset, could only cry louder when her unspoken demands were not met.

And of course, there was Selene. She was putting forward her brave front, taking the frustration and misery in her stride. She wouldn't admit defeat, couldn't admit that she was as exhausted as he was. Michael knew the exhaustion affected her more so: while he'd been able to spend some time in bed over the past week, he knew she had spent all of her time in the nursery.

He couldn't even be sure she'd slept for one minute.

Putting aside his own fatigue, Michael got to his feet, stretching before he started from the room. The ten steps between the bedroom and the nursery were long, though he doubted it was the four hour trip his mind told him it was.

At the nursery, he leant against the doorframe, taking in what should have been the most beautiful sight in the world: Selene with their baby daughter in her arms.

It would have been beautiful, if not for the red tint to Natalie's skin from crying, or the fact that Selene looked almost dead on her feet.

She spoke without turning to face him. "I'm sorry. I've tried everything, but she won't settle."

Michael said nothing as he entered the room, placing one hand on her shoulder for support, and the other on Natalie's forehead.

"She feels warm," he said softly. "She may be running a fever."

Selene looked at him now. The dark circles under her eyes were a combination of a few factors: lack of sleep, stress and not feeding. Michael's concern was now not just for his daughter, but for her mother as well.

"Immortals don't run fevers," she said, although her eyes indicated the concern her words wouldn't convey. "We don't get sick."

Michael looked from his daughter to Selene's face and back again. "We don't know what she's susceptible to." He accepted the warm weight of the baby girl in his arms, holding her against his chest as he gently rocked her. "There's never been a baby born with her mix of species."

Selene wrapped her arms around herself, her full attention focussed on their baby. "I don't know what to do." He knew it took a lot for her to admit this, for Selene could not admit defeat easily. "I've tried feeding her, changing her, rocking her to sleep. I've tried the lights on, the lights off, walking around, standing still."

"She could be teething," Michael suggested. "I've read that could be a very hard time for a baby."

Natalie coughed and spluttered, as her crying took an adverse affect on her breathing. Her cries ceased for a moment at that point, while her little lungs took in the breaths needed for her to continue. Then the crying resumed.

"Have you tried singing to her?" Michael asked, looking up into Selene's eyes.

She focussed on him. "What?"

"Singing. Babies respond well to soothing songs."

"I don't know any."

Michael smiled. "It doesn't need to be anything special. Just sing in a soft voice. It calms them down."

"I don't know any songs."

There was a pause that could have been comical had Natalie's wails not interfered.

"Not one?"

Selene shook her head. "It's been a long time since music played any role in my life. Not since I was a little girl, but…" Her eyes glistened. "I don't remember."

While one hand kept Natalie against his chest, he reached out and squeezed her shoulder with the other.

"There's a song my mother used to sing to me when I was little," he said. "I used to be terrified of thunderstorms. At night, I'd lie awake and scream whenever there was lightning and thunder. I hated them. I thought they were the end of the world. Mum would come in, sit on my bed, and sing this." He smiled at the memory, recalling the words. "It's not the most masculine song, but it always worked for me."

He sat in the rocking chair beside Natalie's cot, and began to rock slowly, gently.

And then, in a hushed voice, he began to sing:

"_Little darling, it's been a long cold lonely winter_

_Little darling, it feels like years since it's been here_

_Here comes the sun_

_Here comes the sun_

_And I say it's alright."_

Natalie's cries quietened gradually to whimpers. She blinked up at him, her dark eyes wide with wonder at this new noise floating around her.

_ "Little darling, the smiles returning to the faces_

_Little darling, it seems like years since it's been here_

_Here comes the sun_

_Here comes the sun_

_And I say it's alright."_

The baby was quiet now, her breathing a soft snuffle as her eyes began to close.

_ "Little darling, I feel that ice is slowly melting_

_Little darling, it seems like years since it's been clear_

_Here comes the sun _

_Here comes the sun_

_And I say it's alright."_

Her eyes were closed, her chest moving with the gentle breaths of sleep. Michael gently cradled her in his arms for a little while longer, before bending down to kiss her forehead gently.

"_It's all right_, princess," he whispered.

Then, with careful movements, he stood and moved to her cot. He lowered her into the cot, gently placing her on her back. She snuffled once, flailed her arms, and then settled, sound asleep.

Michael straightened and turned to face Selene. She was crying silently, but there was ample evidence of her tears on her cheeks.

"I can't do that," she whispered. "I can't…"

He went to her, drawing her into his body the way he had done with Natalie moments earlier. His arms wrapped around her, and she buried her face in his shoulder.

"You can," he replied. "We'll find a song for you to sing."


End file.
